Fantasy Baseball: 5 Noteworthy Trends in Recent Draft Data

Catcher Is Getting Even Thinner

Following the report that Salvador Perez is likely to miss the 2019 season with a UCL injury, an already tough-to-roster position just became that much more difficult. As such, if you want the a stud behind the dish, you're going to have to pay up.

J.T. Realmuto changed teams this off-season, and there has been a ton of helium on his draft-day slot of late. Overall, he's 61st, but he has risen all the way up to 44th over the last two weeks, a jump of well over a full round.

But the new Philadelphia Phillies' catcher isn't the only backstop on the rise in that span. Gary Sanchez has climbed four picks (from 56th to 52th), and Yasmani Grandal has gone from an ADP of 133rd to 119th.

THE BAT projects only 10 catchers to surpass 450 plate appearances this year, so the elite catchers are going to be very valuable. But they'll also be very costly, especially in two-catcher formats. The loss of Perez weakened an already weak position, so if you're hoping to nab one of the elite catchers, be ready to spend.